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Z-Index Scale Reference

A sensible named z-index scale with values for every UI layer from base to tooltip. Click any row to copy the CSS custom property declaration.

Layer Value CSS var
Base 0
--z-base: 0
Raised 10
--z-raised: 10
Dropdown 100
--z-dropdown: 100
Sticky 200
--z-sticky: 200
Modal 400
--z-modal: 400
Toast 500
--z-toast: 500
Tooltip 600
--z-tooltip: 600

When would you use this?

Nothing derails a UI faster than z-index wars, where developers keep adding higher and higher z-index values to get things to stack correctly, until someone ends up with z-index: 99999. A named scale fixes this. Define your layers once (base, dropdown, modal, toast, tooltip) with consistent values, reference them by name in your code, and you'll never fight a stacking context again.

Common Questions

Why is z-index management so painful?

What z-index values should I use?